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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. prune — to trim
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. toast — bread
  6. pit — in a race
  7. land — a country
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. march — music
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. pitch — completely
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com